My invention is a positively locking, quickly releasable latch or combination of hinge and latch. Its applications generally include a wide variety of door-to-door frame connections and window-to-window frame connections. Specific examples of door connections are pickup truck bed, car trailer and garage doors. Similarly, specific examples of window connections include garage, mobile home and boat cabin windows. Other applications for my invention include folding room partitions, lids for containers or compartments, and hatch doors that are hinged to the turret and hull of military tanks. My invention can be applied to any objects which require latch type or hinge type connections.
One problem with some typical hinge mechanisms occurs when the hinged objects are to be disconnected. The connecting parts of such hinge mechanisms may be extremely difficult to disconnect from each other tools are often required to separate them. For example, the pin of the common door hinge can usually only be removed using some sort of tool. A second problem is that partial disassembly of the hinge mechanism is often necessary to separate hinged objects and the disassembled hinge parts can be easily lost or misplaced.
Another problem of some known latch or hinge/latch devices is that their operation is rather difficult and time consuming. The hinge mechanisms and latches commonly used with sail boat cabin windows illustrate this problem. A cabin window is typically attached to a sail boat hull with one hinge fastened at the top of the window and two or more latches fastened on the sides for locking the window closed. A window latch is usually comprised of a threaded bolt hinged at one end to the hull, and also comprises a threaded handle or wing nut. When the window is closed, the threaded bolt is pivoted into a catch plate integral to the window frame. The threaded wing nut or handle nut is then screwed onto the bolt down toward and against the catch plate thereby compressively locking the window closed. Closing the cabin windows in this fashion is slow since each latch needs the handle nut screwed down so as to lock the window. Slow closure of cabin windows is obviously disadvantageous at the onset of sudden turbulent weather, when it is important that the windows be quickly closed.
To solve the aforementioned problem, two of applicant's locking hinge mechanisms could be substituted for the conventional hinge and latches described above, thereby permitting quick and simple opening and closing of cabin windows. In addition, when placed on opposite sides of the window, my hinge/latch mechanism would allow the window to be opened from either side. Furthermore, my mechanism would permit easy removal of the window for cleaning or repair.
From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention can be used as a latch, a hinge or both on windows, hatch covers, compartment lids, or any removable covering of an access orifice. For any of these applications, my invention permits quick and simple connection and disconnection of the objects to be latched and/or hinged without tools and without diassembly of the hinge mechanism.